Pages

Friday, November 2, 2012

I don’t peruse the real estate listings very often these days, so my main source of information on houses that are for sale comes the old fashioned way: walking or driving by a house that has a sign in front.

Last week, while driving from point A to point B, I chose a route that took me by a house that I drive by on occasion, simply because I love the color of the front door (it’s green, and such a charming shade). The house is owned by talented young interior designer Susan Dowhower, who spent time working under the tutelage of legendary Atlanta designer Dan Carithers. When I saw the ‘for sale’ sign out front of her house, I looked forward to being able to see a bit more of the house online – it is always fun to see how interior designers choose to decorate their own spaces.

.

Susan was selected as one of Traditional Home’s 20 Young Designers (click here to see article and interview) a few years ago. The picture included with the article featured her dining room (photography by Emily Followill), a beautiful space that seems quite reflective of Susan’s style - sophisticated and elegant, with a gorgeous palette that expertly incorporates many special details that are the hallmark of a talented designer.

Here are the listing pictures, used with permission from Susan and Harry Norman realtor Bonneau Ansley. The traditional white clapboard house with nice proportions is truly a classic. The green door is somewhat unexpected, and is my favorite aspect of the exterior. Also note the greenery that is carefully trained to grow at the base of the house and on the risers of the front steps – nice details that help ground the house to its environment.

A first glimpse inside the house. Instead of a rug, the floor in the entry has a lattice pattern stained into the wood, which gives an elegant introduction to the house. The blue dining room can be glimpsed on the left, and the living room can be seen on the right.

The listing contained a small picture of the living room, which is beautifully decorated in a soothing neutral palette.

A look at the dining room again, which provides a nice pop of color in the house. I see something different every time I look at this image – this time I noticed the reflection in the mirror (perhaps a different painting over the mantel in the living room when this picture was taken?). I love a traditional layout like this, where the dining room and the living room face one another.

The kitchen is classic, timeless, and truly lovely. The fresh white cabinets and marble countertop, accented with stainless steel appliances and touches of dark chocolate brown in the barstools and the stripe of the zebra fabric, give this space great appeal. When I met Susan in the mid ‘00s, she was in the process of building this house, and it was the first time I had ever heard of someone using marble for their kitchen countertops!

The touches of brown are carried through to the casual dining area, built into the corner of the kitchen. The windows on two sides give the kitchen a light and airy feel.

The family room. I don’t get a feel where this room is located – not sure if it connects to the kitchen and eating area space (spanning the back of the house), or whether it is its own room. My guess is that it is connected to the kitchen and eating area space, based on the color scheme of the room that repeats the soft browns and creams.

A screened outdoor porch, a favorite feature in an Atlanta house.

Continuing the light and neutral palette seen in much of the house, the master bedroom is a peaceful and airy space. The architecture of the spaces incorporates windows on two sides of most of the rooms, filling the house with abundant natural light.

The master bathroom. Note the small pieces of art that are placed above the towel rod and between the windows – small but important touches.

A charming baby’s room decorated in shades of green and gray. This is a room that could easily adapt to a child as he or she grows up.

A little girl’s room decorated in soft pinks and whites. The headboard is particularly pretty, with a deeper pink piping that accents the curve of the design.

The soft pink and white theme is carried through to the daughter’s bathroom, with a soft floral wallpaper pattern.

This looks like a great family house – based on the exterior pictures, there is a basement (the listing indicates that it is finished and there is a guest suite at the basement level). The house is located in the southern side of Buckhead, and is near several parks, and is listed by Bonneau Ansley of Harry Norman. For more information on this listing, please contact Bonneau through his website: http://bonneauansley.com/

◊

New in the store – beautiful oil paintings by Lisa Moore. These paintings are oil on gallery wrapped canvas, measure 9”x12”, and are priced at $425 each. I was struck with how lovely they look as a pair!

Such a beautiful home, Holly. I love the dining room. I love the colors and texture here. The colors throughout are so soft and lovely.The paintings are stunning. They really do make a perfect pair.Happy Thursday.Teresaxoxo

Gorgeous home. The master bathroom is amazing. Again the details in the room make it as you point out. I too could sit on that screened porch for the afternoon. I hope it is warmer there though, woke up to 34 here in Indiana this morning. Have a great day! - Tonya

Hi Holly, She is clearly very talented. The dining room is perfection - It manages to be fabulous and yet restrained. I think it is the fact that those beautiful curtains have valances that are tailored and not fussy.Have a good weekend,Phyllis

This is such a beautiful home. It is so nice to see a designer who could acquire the most extravagant decor show such a delicate hand in their design scheme. The house has a warm and calming atmosphere but with the use of less cluttered and more refined details.

so funny you posted this house, thank you! i've been looking at it online for a few weeks on a real estate site and love love love the interior vibe. i had no idea how to find out who was behind all that loveliness, so happy to have found out. too bad she doesn't have a web site!

This is a lovely elegant home. The traditional architecture is very beautiful and not ostentatious. I am particularly drawn to the family room which feels warm, personal and inviting. I have worked with Dan Carither via my showroom...a brilliant talented and interesting man.

Lovely decor. I love the use of blue chairs with the lavender drapery, in the dining room. Well come to think of it, I love everything about that dining room. I wonder if the new buyer would want to purchase some if not all of the furnishings.

LinkWithin

Follow me

Featured Sponsor

Holly

aka 'Things That Inspire'

TTI Favorite

Love my Fitbit - click on image to purchase on Amazon

Things That Inspire favorites

Metal polishing cloths - they work on just about any metal - aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, gold, nickel, pewter, silver. I use them on my polished nickel - they get all of the water spots out! Click on image to purchase on Amazon.

.

WeMo Switch - make any plug controllable with your smartphone or ipad. Click on image to purchase on Amazon.

We carefully select the sponsors that are featured in Things That Inspire, and only partner with those whose aesthetic and product is a good fit with the interests of our readers. Posts on Things That Inspire may contain links to sponsor sites.